Loewen’s 2007 Leiwener Laurentiuslay Riesling Spatlese smells of overripe peach, musk melon, ginger, and candied orange rind. A prickly, zesty, spicy amalgam of concentrated citrus and botrytis marks the palate, along with alkaline minerality and a faintly milky cast that lends to the (in view of prominent botrytis, surprisingly) luscious and refreshing finish an orange and lime sherbet cast. It reached 77 F. on the mid-October day when the first half of this was picked, the balmiest of the harvest, says Loewen, who opines that perhaps because of its warm start and rapid fermentation, this lot simultaneously experienced a partial malo-lactic conversion. Still, the total acidity remains more than 8 grams (tartaric equivalent). This will be another intriguing Loewen 2007 to follow, but I would be cautious about harboring expectations past 5-7 years out. Karl-Josef Loewen finds similarities in character between 2007 and 2002, which he illustrated with a now spectacular Thornicher Ritsch Spatlese, a wine I already admired in its youth, but about whose combination of botrytis and slight severity of acids I at that stage expressed slight concern. Still, I was not entirely convinced by the analogy, or by certain of Loewen’s 2007s. Few German growers I know are as sanguine about botrytis in general as he, and it certainly touched most of his wines in 2007, at times awkwardly.Importer:Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel (516) 677-9300

Spicy apple pie, peach and citrus flavors are defined by the bracing structure in this racy Riesling. There's also a hint of pineapple as this stretches out on the finish. Drink now through 2028.??–BS??Region: Germany / Mosel Select to Add